Lifting-jack



UNITED STATES Parent @rrren.

MARCUS HEDGES, OF MURRIE'ITA, CALIFORNIA.

LlFTlNG-JACK.

SFEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 383,293, dated May 22, 1883.

Application filed February 29, 1888. Serial No.2fi5.71i'2. (No medal.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Masons HEDGES, acitizen ofthe United States, residing at Murrietta, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lifting-Jacks, of which the following is a specification.

Theinvention relates to improvements in lifting-jacks; and it consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective View of the invention. Fig. 2 representsa central longitudinal section of the same.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates the frame or casing of the machine, composed of two seetions,e a, of similar shape, and similarly recessed on their inner or meeting side for the accommodation of the opera tive mechanism. The said sections are preferably united by bolts a, and have their united upper and lower ends preferably shod with metal clips a The united upper ends of the section form together, adjacent to one edge, the vertical guide projection and rest B, beveled atits upper inner eorner,b. The said projeetion is central, laterally, and considerably thinner than the united thickness of the two sections, which form on each side of the projection 13 the shonldersOc, inclined downwardly from their rounded meeting point or apex 0 about at right angles to each other, the shoulder G being considerably the longer and running to the edge opposite that on which the projection B is situated.

D is a lifting and supporting bar sliding in the vertical guide-recess d, formed on the meeting sides of the sections, and provided on its upper end with the angular head (1, which, when the bar is down, rests with its inner edge upon the beveled corner I) ofthe projection B. On the outer edge the lifting bar is provided with the downwardly-inclined teeth (2", having the rounded notches d between them, and on its inner edge, below its middle portion,with the downwardly-inclined detent-tooth d. If necessary to be made small, there may be more than one detent-tooth.

E is a ratchet-bar pivoted at the end of its upwardly-extended arm 0 in the central recess of the sections, and provided on its inner edge with the upwardly-inclined teeth 0', which engage with the detent tooth or teeth of the lifting-bar D.

F is a rod having its inner end secured on the outer edge of said ratchet-bar, passing thence through an opening in the adjacentcdge of the casing, and having a loop, f, on its outerend, to which is attached the chain f, by means of which the ratchctbar can be pulled out of engagement with the detent-teeth.

G is a spring, preferably U-shaped, situated in the central recess of the casing, with one arm resting against the adjacent wall of said recess and the other against the outer edge of the ratchet-bar and pressing the latter into engagement with the lifting-bar.

H is a lever-handle, bifurcated at its inner end, with the arms h of its bifurcation passing on each side of the guide projection B, and having the transverse bar it connecting the ends of said arms. The said bar engages in the rounded notches d" between the teeth (1, and when its outer end is depressed it lifts said bar thereby. The lever-handle, when its outer end is raised, rests upon the shoulder G, and when said end is depressed it rests in the shoul der 0, having turned on the rounded apex c as a fulcrum. The said shoulders and the upper part of the casing below the pivoted point of the ratchet-barare preferably shod with metal clips, as shown.

The operation of lifting with thejaek is evident from the above description, the ratchet bar teeth slipping over the detent tooth or teeth on the lifting-bar as the latter rises. To lower a weight with the jack, the liftingbar is partially lifted with the lever to disengage the shoulders of the detent and ratchet-bar teeth. The ratchet-bar is then pulled outward by the chain and red, as described, and the weight gently lowered by the lever-haudle.

The lever, ratchct-bar,and liftingbar are preferably of steel. The casing may be of wood, but is preferably metal-shod at its ends, as described.

The device is of simple, compact, and strong construction, and is made small enough to be constantly carried without inconvenience, as a tool, in a wagon or carriage, and by it one man can lift the weight of at least three tons,

so that a Wagoner could without aid remove and replace the wheel of his loaded wagon. Having described my invent-ion, I claim- 1. In a lifting-jack, the combination of the internally-recessed casing having the vertical guide projection at its upper end, the lifting and support bar sliding in said recessed casing and provided on its edge with downwardlyinelined teeth, and the bifurcated lever-handle 1o fitting over the guide projection and upper end of the lifting-bar and provided with a transverse bar between the ends of its bifurcation to engage the said teeth of the liftingbar, substantially as specified. i5 2. In a lifting-jack, the combination of the recessed sectioned easing, metalshod at the ends, and having at its upper end the shoulders O c, downwardly inclined from their rounded apex c at about right angles to each other, and the vertical guide projection B, pro

vided with the beveled corner b, the liftingbar D, having the angular head cl and the teeth d forming between them the rounded notches d", and the leverhandle I-I, having the 2; arms h at its bifurcated inner end, and the arm and provided with upwardly-inclined 5 teeth on its inner edge to engage the detenttooth on the lifting-bar, and the lever-handle bifurcated at its inner end to fit over the guide projection and having a transverse bar to engage the teeth of the lifting-bar, substantially 0 as specified.

4. In a lifting-jack, the combination, with the recessed casing, the lifting-barhaving the lifting and detent teeth, and the bifurcated handle provided with a transverse bar to en- 5 gage said lifting-teeth, of the pivoted depending ratchet-bar and the spring pressing said ratchet-bar into engagement, substantially as specified.

5. In a lifting-jack, the combination, with the recessed casing, the lifting-bar having the lifting and detent teeth, and the bifurcated handle provided with a transverse bar to engage said lifting-teeth, of the pivoted depending ratchet-bar, the rod secured to the outer edge of the ratchet-bar and looped at its outer end outside the casing, the chain attached to said loop, and the U-shaped spring pressing the ratchet-bar into engagement, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARCUS HEDG'ES.

Witnesses:

H. H. FOWLER, W. H. CoLnRIoK. 

